Corner post assembly



Sept. 8, 1964 R. VAN HUIS 3,147,853

CORNER POST ASSEMBLY Filed 001:. 29, 1962 FIG. 3.

INVENTOR. ROBERT L V4/V #0/5 United States Patent 3,147,853 CORNER POST ASSEMBLY Robert L. Van Huis, Zeeland, Mich, assignor to Automatic Poultry Feeder Company, Zeeland, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Oct. 29, 1962, Ser. No. 233,591 4 Claims. (Cl. 198-204) This invention relates to automatic, animal-feeding conveyor equipment, and more particularly to a conveyor corner construction for an endless, continuously moving feed chain.

Chain-type feed conveyors, for example like those illustrated in US. Patents 2,737,823 and 2,711,240, have been widely adopted today for feeding animal stock, especially poultry. The drag chain in this type of apparatus pulls and pushes feed along in the open conveyor trough to fill it and provide feeding access to the animals. Since the drag chain must necessarily return to the hopper in its circuitous, continuous path, the chain must pass around trough corners. The corner construction for a flat feed chain has presented a unique problem. The flat links are constructed with a substantially triangular configuration providing sufficient lateral flexibility between links to allow the chain to pass around the corners while held in the horizontal dragging condition by an arcuate hold down rail. The flat powered chain is radially supported against movement toward the inside of the trough by a rotatably mounted wheel which is supported on a fixed, non-rotatable post. The wheel is held down in its proper position on the post by an upper snap ring assembly, with bearing washers placed between the snap ring and the hub of the wheel. However, considerable difficulty has been experienced with this type of construction causing it to be somewhat undependable during continuous unattended use, since the wheel and chain sometimes rise on the post regardless of the snap ring. The powered chain then binds in the corner assembly under the hold down rail and disrupts the complete apparatus. This costly disruption causes the automatic equipment to require observation and periodic repair. The inventor herein discovered after careful observation and evaluation of the assembly during operation, that the snap ring is actually popped out of its groove in the post. It was further found that this usually happens after the ring has been internally worn considerably by its being rotated on the post by the wheel hub. In other words, the washers intended as bearing means between the hub and snap ring actually formed .a frictional driving clutch connection between the hub and snap ring. This happens after feed particles are forced between the elements to create frictional contact and binding, causing the snap ring to rotate with the wheel. After making this discovery, the inventor originated a novel corner post assembly that has subsequently proven, as shown by extensive testing, to have completely eliminated this costly conveyor corner disruption, jamming, and disassembly.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide a modified corner post assembly for feed conveyors that eliminates the disruption problem heretofore existing in automatic feeding systems, and that thereby provides the conveyor mechanism with complete dependability for automatic operation. This invention admirably achieves this purpose by a relatively simple and inexpensive, yet extremely significant modification of the existing construction. The novel structure completely eliminates the frictional, rotational, driving connection that formed between the wheel, snap ring and bearing washers. The bearing washer means now continues to act properly as bearing means, rather than as a frictional drive coupling. Accidental disassembly of the corner post assembly does not occur. This total dependability of the apparatus is achieved by an expense of only a few cents for each complete corner assembly.

These and other objects of this invention will be apparent upon studying the following specification in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective, fragmentary view of the chain conveyor mechanism shown with the assembled corner post structure;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the components of the corner post assembly; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional, elevational view through the corner post assembly showing the specific components thereof as assembled.

Basically, the inventive corner post assembly comprises a housing having a fixedly mounted corner post which rotatably mounts a chain guide wheel, snap ring retention means holding the wheel down on the lower part of the post, and novel bearing washer means non-rotatably mounted on the bearing. post between the snap ring and wheel hub. A chordal flat machined on the cylindrical post interfits with a chord-a1 portion in the washer opening. This removes the frictional rotational drive connection from the hub and snap ring, and has been found to completely solve the disassembly problem.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the complete corner post assembly 10 is shown connected to the open top trough 12 of the automatic feed conveyor. The con veyor includes a conventional endless chain 14 which drags the feed along the trough to maintain the trough substantially full. The chain may be driven by a suitable motor driven sprocket means like that illustrated in US. Patent 2,737,823 to the assignee herein. The generally flat, horizontal links of the chain are substantially triangular in configuration so that the chain can remain horizontal as it flexes laterally around the corner assembly 10.

An arcuate hold down rail 21 is secured to the outer curved wall of housing 20 by suitable screws. This hold down rail prevents the chain from tipping up to an angular or vertical condition as it rounds wheel 38, by holding the outer edge of each link against rising.

The corner post assembly may be supported by suitable uprights 16 extending to the floor and adjustably mounted in brackets 18 on the housing 20. The housing ing 20 includes a cover 22 to prevent the poultry from getting their beaks caught in the corner wheel assembly during operation. This cover is located at a considerable distance above the chain mechanism to prevent jamming of the conveyed feed in this relatively enclosed conduit portion. Preferably a scraper 30 is mounted at the entrance 32 to the corner housing 20 to prevent the feed from building up to the cover.

As chain 14 travels from entrance 32 of the housing to exit 34, it must pass arcuately around the angled corner to change direction of movement. The chain is radially supported and guided in this arcuate path by an idler wheel 38 having small projections on its periphery to engage the links of the chain. This idler wheel includes a central hub 44 mounted on a fixed corner post 46 and having bearing contact therewith by a sleeve bearing 48. The lower end of post 46 is milled flat on several sides to provide a polygonally configurated portion 54, here shown to be square, to interfit through a correspondingly polygonal opening 56 punched through the floor 58 of housing 20. This prevents post rotation during rotation of wheel 38. The lower terminal portion of the post is threaded to receive a conventional nut 60. A hearing washer 62 separates the base of hub 44 from floor 58 of the housing. Also, other suitable lock washers 66 may be placed beneath floor 58 and nut 60. The upper end of the post is drilled and tapped to receive a threaded stud 70 extending through opening 72 in cap 22. These connections rigidly hold. post 46.

To hold wheel 38 down in its proper axial position on the lower end of post 46, a retention assembly is provided in the form of a snap ring 76 interfitting in groove 78 adjacent the upper end of the post. Since snap ring 76 should remain stationary, i.e. non-rotative on the post to prevent its wearing and being popped out of the groove, a pair of special bearing washers 80 and 82 are fit unto the post between the upper end of hub 44 and snap ring 76. This in effect provides an axial thrust bearing between the lower washer and the hub.

The bearing means or washers 8t and 82 are prevented from rotating by providing them with a non-rotating interfit on the stationary post. Even if feed particles are temporarily forced in between the individual washers, or between the washers and hub, or between the washers and snap ring, the snap ring. cannot be forced to rotate with the hub to wear it out. It has been found after extensive testing, that by making this interfit of washers 80 and 82 with post 46 non-rotative, the previous problem of disassembly with the snap ring being popped off, and allowing the wheel and chain to rise does not occur. Thus, the powered chain cannot rise to bind and jam the links of chain 14 against hold down rail 21 to thereby disrupt the complete apparatus with attempted continued chain movement.

This novel construction to achieve this non-rotative result is obtained by milling a chordal flat 98 on the upper end of post 46. The flat terminates short of a position where it will interfere with the bearing contact between the post and hub bearing 48. It allows the special washers 80 and 82, each of which has a generally circular central opening with a flat chordal side to axially interfit with the post 46 below the snap ring groove in the position illustrated in FIG. 3. By this relatively simple and very inexpensive construction requiring only a milling operation on the post and a novel die cutting configuration of the washer, the difliculties heretofore experienced are admirably eliminated. Instead of one flat, any number can be used.

Various advantages may be apparent which have not been specifically recited herein. Also, structural modifications to suit a particular situation but fully equivalent to the above structure adopting the principles of the invention as taught herein may be visualized by those in the art. Such obvious modifications are part of this invention, which is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims and the reasonably equivalent structures to those defined therein.

I claim:

1. A corner assembly for a chain-type feed conveyor, comprising: a corner housing having an inlet and an outlet at an angle with respect to each other for entry of a feed chain and exit thereof in a different direction; a wheel mounted in said housing and adapted to cooperate with the feed chain to radially support and guide it from inlet to outlet; a rotatably and axially fixed corner post secured to said housing and rotatably mounting said wheel; a snap ring groove on the upper portion of said corner post; a snap ring interfitting with a snap ring groove on the upper portion of said post to hold said wheel down in proper position; bearing washer means between said snap ring and the top of the hub of said wheel; and said corner post having a peripheral fiat inter fitting with a corresponding fiat in the opening of said washer means to prevent rotation of said washer means during rotational operation of the wheel, and thereby preventing accidental disassembly of the corner assembly.

2. A corner post feed conveyor assembly comprising: a feed conveyor trough and feed advancing conveyor means in said trough to move feed therethrough; a corner housing forming part of said trough and having an inlet and an outlet at an angle with respect to each other for entry of the feed conveying element and exit thereof in a different direction; a rotatably and axially fixed post mounted in said housing and having a wheel rotatably mounted thereon; means on the ends of said post for securing it in said corner post housing; removable axial clip retention means adjacent the upper end of said post for axially retaining said wheel down in proper position in said housing; annular bearing washer means around said post between said wheel and said retention means; the central opening of said washer means being generally circular but with at least one fiat; and the periphery of said post under said washer means being generally cylindrical but with a corresponding fiat at the upper portion thereof to interfit with said washer opening, and thereby prevent a frictional rotational driving connection between said wheel and clip retention means.

3. A chain-type feed conveyor, comprising: a conveyor trough and feed-dragging chain means in said trough to move feed therethrough; a corner housing forming part of said conveyor and having an inlet and an outlet at an angle with respect to each other in a generally horizontal plane for entry of the feed chain and exit thereof in a different direction; a wheel mounted in said housing and adapted to cooperate with the feed chain to radially support and guide it as it drags feed through said housing from inlet to outlet; at rotatably and axially fixed corner post secured vertically in and to said housing and rotatably mounting said wheel; a snap ring groove on the upper portion of said corner post; a snap ring interfitting with said snap ring groove on the upper portion of said post to hold said wheel down in proper position on said post; bearing washer means between said snap ring and the top of the hub of said wheel; said post having a noncircular upper end portion and said washer bearing means having a non-circular central opening interfitting with said non-circular axial portion of said fixed post and preventing rotation of said washer means on said post during rotational operation of the adjacent wheel even though feed particles are forced therebetween, thereby preventing accidental disassembly of said corner assembly.

4. A corner post assembly for a feed conveyor comprising: a conveyor trough corner housing for receiving a feed conveyor element therein; a rotatably and axially fixed post generally in the center of said housing, and having a wheel rotatably mounted thereon for guiding a conveyor element through said housing while changing its direction; means on the ends of said post for securing it vertically in said corner housing; removable axial retention clip means adjacent the upper end of said post for axially retaining said wheel down on said post; annular thrust bearing washer means around said post above said wheel between said wheel and said retention means; said post having a non-circular upper end portion; and said washer bearing means having a non-circular central opening interfitting with said non-circular axial portion of said fixed post and preventing rotation of said washer and thus of said retention clip means during rotational operation of the adjacent wheel, even when feed particles are forced between said wheel and said bearing washer means, thereby preventing rotational driving forces on said clip retention means to force it axially off said post.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 981,315 Rogers Jan. 10, 1911 1,656,697 Dickey Jan. 17, 1928 2,595,787 Heimann May 6, 1952 2,782,761 Martin et al. Feb. 26, 1957 2,897,022 Marola July 28, 1959 2,918,037 Polley Dec. 22, 1959 

2. A CORNER POST FEED CONVEYOR ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: A FEED CONVEYOR TROUGH AND FEED ADVANCING CONVEYOR MEANS IN SAID TROUGH TO MOVE FEED THERETHROUGH; A CORNER HOUSING FORMING PART OF SAID TROUGH AND HAVING AN INLET AND AN OUTLET AT AN ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER FOR ENTRY OF THE FEED CONVEYING ELEMENT AND EXIT THEREOF IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION; A ROTATABLY AND AXIALLY FIXED POST MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING AND HAVING A WHEEL ROTATABLY MOUNTED THEREON; MEANS ON THE ENDS OF SAID POST FOR SECURING IT IN SAID CORNER POST HOUSING; REMOVABLE AXIAL CLIP RETENTION MEANS ADJACENT THE UPPER END OF SAID POST FOR AXIALLY RETAINING SAID WHEEL DOWN IN PROPER POSITION IN SAID HOUSING; ANNULAR BEARING WASHER MEANS AROUND SAID POST BETWEEN SAID WHEEL AND SAID RETENTION MEANS; THE CENTRAL OPENING OF SAID WASHER MEANS BEING GENERALLY CIRCULAR BUT WITH AT LEAST ONE FLAT; AND THE PERIPHERY OF SAID POST UNDER SAID WASHER MEANS BEING GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL BUT WITH A CORRESPONDING FLAT AT THE UPPER PORTION THEREOF TO INTERFIT WITH SAID WASHER OPENING, AND THEREBY PREVENT A FRICTIONAL ROTATIONAL DRIVING CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID WHEEL AND CLIP RETENTION MEANS. 